Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Known protective helmets typically consist of a protective shell that is secured to a user's head by way of a chinstrap. Known chinstrap systems used in conventional helmets are by no means ideal. For example: the helmet is susceptible, during an impact, to being moved out of the intended alignment with the head. This misalignment is known to increase the risk of injury of the user—for example if the temple region is exposed. In addition, chinstraps are known to break. This results in further adverse positioning—or indeed inadvertent compete removal of the helmet.
One approach for avoiding complications associated with chinstraps is to use a rear-opening helmet design, such as that disclosed in PCT/AU2006/001770. Such a helmet includes a front shell a rear shell moveable with respect to the front shell to provide an open configuration for receiving within the helmet or removing from the helmet a head; and a closed configuration wherein the rear shell is releasably lockingly engaged to the front shell for securely containing the head within the helmet.